With the release of one of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installments to theatres on Nov. 5th, fans and critics held conflicting views over the quality of the new superhero flick. Opposing arguments regarding the movie has spiked a lot of controversy in the entertainment world. A good amount of Marvel fans felt the story was “darker and more mature”, differing from other films in the franchise, likening it to DC films. A fan even stated the film held less, “Marvel movie magic” than more popular releases.
The movie showcases immortal aliens reunited to protect humans from the Deviants, evil counterparts to the Eternals, while building a family dynamic with a vast amount of deep meaning behind certain points. Under director Chloé Zhao, stars such as Angelina Jolie, Lia McHugh, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, along with the pop singer Harry Styles, are all featured in the late addition to the franchise.
However, it has become apparent that critics, more than fans, have negative perspectives regarding the Marvel movie as evident by scoring on sites like Rotten Tomatoes. The audience scored the film at eighty-one percent while the critics at a low of forty-eight. The audience score had increased gradually over time as more people began to realize the superhero team’s true lighting. Yet critics go as far as stating Eternals to be, “A philosophically dense film that stagnates under its own considerable weight.” In contrast, fans claim Eternals is an, “Interesting movie philosophically” that is, “definitely not your typical Marvel movie.”
Despite negative criticism however, the film has diverse casting as well as the MCU’s long overdue first gay superhero. However, the addition of Phastos’ character had sparked controversy as well, with homophobes partially contributing to the installments on average lower reviews. Eternals had been reviewed a week before hitting theatres for its LGBTQ inclusion. “Looks like we’re upsetting the right people,” stated Kumail Nanjiani, Marvel’s Eternals star, in their response tweet to the reviewing.